Rag Dolls Rewritten
by DearTrickster
Summary: A story about Madison Right, a seemingly disturbed individual. She lost her memories, her motivation for creativity and most importantly her freedom. Now enslaved by the very same monster Johnny C is. Delving deeper into the concepts, ideas and world Jhonen Vasquez has built in Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and I Feel Sick. Spoilers to all who aren't familiar with his stories.
1. Chapter 1

**Rag Dolls Rewritten**

**Chapter 1**

**Not Quick Enough**

Madison walked at a leisurely pace down the sidewalk, her dull orange hair sat long and flat on her shoulders. Her dry fists were deep in her blue jean pockets and her scruffy running shoes made little noise as she stepped closer to work. Her dark green eyes wandering from the street to the sky and back down at her shoes.

She bit impulsively at her dry lower lip and rubbed her crooked nose into her shoulder. She had been stalking her next target that morning and trying to set out a pattern for their natural habits and where they spent most of their time, at least in the morning. She liked brisk morning kidnappings as opposed to waiting until nightfall.

Why waste the day?

She had worked at Café Le Prick for months now, her deft hands and easy to pull fake smile kept coffee vampires happy, even the pricks.

She was mainly on evening shifts and hadn't the mind to complain, she didn't sleep very much in the first place.

She was smart though, for the entire time she worked there she had found dozens upon dozens of potential targets she would have loved to drag back to her apartment but she hadn't.

She had noticed how strange it was that police hardly ever caught wind of her more public displays of dead bodies but could easily catch a more complicated and careful homicide suspect. It was as if they forgot anything happened and even the stories in the papers couldn't make heads or tails of the various cases. She had snuck into police headquarters several times to find nothing, not even the slightest track record.

Nonetheless, Madison felt the need to be careful and thoughtful of her delightful deeds.

She liked to be careful unlike that one strange man she ran into at the _24-7_. She wanted some candy and recognized him as the man she had bumped into after being chased by wereleaders.

She had provoked some werewolf-cheerleaders and she remembered the man's face because she lost her footing while running and crashed into the guy.

It was a regular occurrence for her to run, you would figure as dangerous as she was you wouldn't finger Madison to be the one to turn tail and run. Regardless, she ran right into him and now she saw the same man threatening the clerk with a gun.

He was lanky and gaunt. His hair was jet black and cropped to the top of his head while the sides of his head were shaven away. It looked like he needed a haircut by its spiky length.

His long spidery fingers wrapped tightly around the handgun, it looked as if the weight of the gun could pull his skinny self to the ground. Still, he managed the weight of the piece and didn't show any sign of strain.

The deep dark circles under his eyes stood out against his dinner plate sized eyes and his tiny wild pupils. He had a tiny scar under his left eye. His nose poked out sharply from his round head, like that of a bird's beak. She thought _He looks like a crow._

"Miss. Miss? Are you deaf?" He raised his hoarse voice and Madison finally realized he was speaking the entire time.

She shook her head, "No no, I was just…" She stopped herself and brought up her polite face. "I was simply spacing out like a goof." Madison tapped her forehead with the palm of her hand to emphasize the air headed act.

His lip curled and he commented lightly, "Well, if you don't mind Miss, but I would appreciate if you left us alone. Unless would you like to join?" He added venomously, smashing through the small talk.

Madison picked at the box of candy and stored it into her backpack and the small convenience store rank of fresh shit. "Since you were so kind as to invite me, I will return the favour and give you some advice."

He rolled his massive eyes and gestured with the gun to spit it out. The clerk let out a small whimper and quietly cursed himself for turning off the brain-freezy machine so early.

"I hope you know that if you plan on using the clerk's gun you should check the magazine and see if there's enough fun-time bullets," she fanned her hands around and grinned an impish smile at the word fun-time, "to have all the fun you want to have."

The man scoffed, "You insult me by even uttering the word _fun_." He cocked the gun, "I _know_ how many bullets I have. Now leave!" He growled.

With that Madison bowed her head, she would have acted like she was afraid and fled but the man insisted on a more honest attitude. She turned on her heel and never looked back.

She knew she'd always be more careful and _even more_ careful then when it came to murder but there was no point in being careful for suicide.

She heard a gun shot and let a small smile break across her face, sometimes it was just easy to smile when you know someone did something stupid.

The shift had passed by, nothing spectacular had happened that night except when the very same stupid man from the convenience store had walked into the sea of bodies. He had a hefty backpack over his shoulder, he never noticed her but she did and saw the look written all over his face. She kept her expression careful but knew when you were about to kill the muscles in one's face twitched a certain way and pinched in particular places.

The man wore that face very well.

Madison snuck off through the employee's door and collected her things. She reached through the safe in the back and picked up her paycheck. Faintly remembering how annoyed she was that there wasn't a direct deposit. She heard a chorus of screams and felt her skin prickle with anticipation.

Even though she was a ways away from the scene, the familiar scent of blood from memory crept into her nose and it would be strange to describe how she could feel the sensation down to her knees. Like it was about to wrap its tendrils around her skin and pull her in.

She wanted to do the smart and careful thing and escape out the back door but the temptation to see the bloody scene was overpowering.

She had to put her body weight into opening the door the dead bodies slid away with a couple grunts and the pools of blood. She saw the man address the small audience left alive but the scene was a gory bloodshed. His coat tails curled up even under the weight of blood.

She stepped through the bodies and her skin prickled.

Madison walked past him and he simply wore a grim line. She didn't say anything but when a woman with her torso on the other side of the store grasped her leg, without even flinching Madison drove the heel of her foot down into the half-woman's skull. It crunched and snapped under the sudden force of single stomp. Blood and other pieces of flesh splashed up her pant leg and over her smock. Little specks flecked on her cheeks, she didn't bother to wipe them away.

She finally turned to face the stupid-man.

"I suppose suicide wasn't for you?" Her face held no expression and her voice was as flat as her hair.

He simply stated, "If you are as smart as you think you are, you would run. I am more than capable of cutting you down where you stand."

"Oh I'm sure you are, you're just very stupid and insane." Madison scoffed and thought for a moment, "Have a good night, Uncle Scar." She put on her brightest smile, delighted by using a movie reference but in another blink she fixed the man with her dark green eyes.

Madison turned on a heel and left the very few whimpering survivors behind. Her face screwed up and she bit her lower lip.

When she walked a few feet from the coffee shop, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Madison knew what he would do when he left. A few seconds after reaching the end of the block she turned to look back and her suspicions were confirmed.

The bright flash of light and fire burst from the shop windows and its doors. Flames licked up the building and black thick smoke billowed. The sound made Madison's ears ring and the blast of wind made her stumble.

The explosion left Madison a wee bit shaken but she quickly composed herself and blinked at the sudden brightness. She focused on a figure spiriting towards her and with that she dove behind a garbage can and listened for his footsteps to quickly skip by and then eventually fade.

A nagging voice crept up from the back of her head, "Don't we know him from somewhere?"

Madison bristled at the voice.

"Will you just keep quiet?" She hissed.

Roy let out a lazy sigh, "Oh I've been _so_ good and quiet this entire time."

"I don't care." Madison poked her head out from behind the trashcan and was alone. She heard sirens and knew she couldn't stick around. Though, she determined that she should follow that maniac and put him out of his own insane misery.

"You think that's wise? I think this is a sign." Roy replied to her inner monologue.

"What have I said about listening in on my thoughts?" Madison snapped and wore a scowl for nobody else except herself.

She heard a laugh and then a faint snicker; "You should hear yourself right now! Talking to yourself about listening in on yourself. Truly, you are insane." He paused and snickered again, "All the better to track other maniacs with, my dear."

Madison hurried along in the direction she saw the stupid-man prance off. Somewhat irritated that Roy made a good movie reference right after she did. He is always trying to steal her thunder.

She rounded another block and crossed the street to the other side keeping her ears sharp and her eyes not missing a single thing.

Except all her senses seemed to miss the taser-gun that was stabbed into her back. Her entire body lost control and then her sure footing faltered. Her feet collapsed beneath her.

Falling rather lamely to the ground her eyes glimpsed through a haze and saw a tall skinny figure but sure enough, Roy managed one more quick remark before she blacked out.

"Looks like the big bad wolf just met her match against the lumberjack."


	2. Chapter 2

Rag Dolls Rewritten

Chapter 2

Memory Monsters

By: Sarah McLean

Roy had waited patiently for the dreams to subside, Madison often had nightmares and being shocked into unconsciousness didn't stop her mind from playing home movies, as Roy often referred to them as.

Tonight's dream was about the stupid-stranger and her friend from years past. Probably the first and last real friend she ever had. Roy recognized the stranger from Madison's memories. She might not be able to visit them but Roy did and often when she was going about her murderous ways. He never liked the idea of getting his hands dirty; all the important work was done with words.

What really fascinated him was the way she pulled up many disguises and faces to hide her real wolfish self. It was amusing, aside from the people in her memories, Roy felt he was the only one who truly knew this damaged woman inside and out.

As far as he knew he was the only one to make the connection between the stranger and her friend. He considered himself very clear-headed and cunning. He'd never tell why he pesters Madison with his dialogue or why he insists that he is merely a voice caused by extreme emotional trauma and mental scars.

It was better she remained unawares of the monster that had the best mask of all.

Roy noticed now that she was slowly gaining back her consciousness and the window to the open world was flickering back to open.

He saw a painted wall, not painted in the grotesque way that Madison paints walls but it was painted with a ghastly pale full moon. The vision went blurry again as Madison blinked and tried to lift her heavy head.

Roy encouraged her through the buzz of a headache, "Go on and take a look around."

She groaned pitifully but managed to lift her head and straighten her tight and sore shoulders.

Memories spiked through her mind and they shattered as soon as they appeared. Roy recognized them and grinned to himself knowingly that she was trying to remember where she has seen this style of art before.

"Well? Where do you think you are?" Roy asked.

Madison answered only in her thoughts, "Someplace underground. My ears feel sore as if they popped from pressure."

"Gooood," Roy said encouragingly, "And?"

"My hands and feet are bound with rope. I remember being shocked… and for some reason I remember…" She was thinking hard, grasping at her dreams and memories, "Art! Paintings! I remember paintings!" She thought happily.

Roy couldn't help but smile, he knew that keeping her ignorant of her past made the transition process easier but it was entertaining to see her remember so little. He knew it wouldn't make a difference if she only remembered a bit here and there, never enough to connect the dots. Of course, professionals like Roy were always as susceptible to mistakes as a rookie was. These mistakes must never be mistaken for humanity. Roy was not human.

"Right now you are missing a very important fact." Madison let a confused thought wash across her mind, "Your means for escape are more important."

"Of course." She agreed.

"Which our host so generously left us a gift." Roy said dryly.

Madison searched and found a knife lying in front of her. She leaned forward ready to take a bite and start sawing away at her bounds. The door creaking open brought her to a halt.

She turned to see the stupid-stranger leaning against the door frame with a cocky smile on his gaunt face.

"Now now, you should expect your escape comes at a price." He said and strode with long strides. He crouched down to come face to face with Madison. Roy could feel her muscles tense and push against the rope. She kept her face perfectly still.

Roy tapped into Madison's olfactory senses and realized he rank of fresh earth and blood.

"Please, relax." He sat cross-legged and leaned back against a crate, he picked up the knife and played with it.

"You've caught me in a very good mood, for a change." The man said.

"Why's that?" Madison asked.

"I had just saved my little neighbour from a pedophile. I couldn't see him home since it was too dangerous to be out with the high chance of being abducted by aliens tonight." Madison didn't react, "Cause, you know. Since it's Tuesday."

Roy heard a faint thought float across her mind, "Oh man he's so right." Roy would roll his eyes if he had any.

"Please ask me the most anxious question on your mind now, Miss. I can read it all over your overly inexpressive face." The man grinned.

Madison thought for a moment and shrugged relaxing her face to a more comfortable neutral expression, "Why am I here," she cleared her throat and put on the best imitation of a victim Roy had every heard. "Whyyyy meeee? Whatever I diddd to you, I am so soooorrrryyyyyyyy!"

The man stared at her and both began to laugh, Roy felt uncomfortable and confused. The easy laughter did nothing to lighten the tension.

The man recomposed himself, "I _knew _you had a sense of humour."

"Oh please, you are making me _blush_." Madison said sarcastically.

The man snickered again, "Well, I'll answer your question then."

He coughed into his fist and stood, it was clear more now than ever how terribly skinny this man was. He truly did not have an ounce of meat on his body besides his head; "You see, ever since the first night I brought you here, there's been these… fragments appearing in my mind. The doughboys say otherwise of course, but I believe that they are memories."

A spike of memory flashed through Madison's mind and she said cautiously, "Go on."

"Since then more and more memories appear, and it's disconcerting." He stood and faced the wall; he studied it with his hands clasped behind his back.

"What's your question?" She urged, fidgeting.

Roy waited patiently, not saying a word. This place felt familiar and there was an air of death to it. It wasn't just that, it was not of this plane of existence. He hoped that his feeling would go away but it sat like a rock.

The man breathed a sigh and looked back at Madison, and said, "I don't even know your name. It'll make things more comfortable to discuss if I know whom I speak to." He was watching her reaction carefully.

"Madison." She said evenly.

"Johnny." He replied and waited a beat and asked, "Do you recognize me?" His eyes blazed with curiosity and anticipation.

Roy began to snort and laugh. He couldn't control himself, he was right the entire time!

Johnny's expression shifted and he glared, "What's so funny?"

Madison raised her brow and knew Roy was laughing but she hadn't let out a single snicker. She snapped a sharp warning to Roy inside her mind, "Shut the _fuck_ up!"

He stopped laughing and recomposed himself.

She didn't bother explaining and skipped quickly, "I can't remember you, but I remember those paintings. Did you paint that mural?" She asked.

Johnny's attention returned to the wall and he nodded, "I don't remember when I could paint." He said sadly. He closed his eyes and rubbed them between his forefinger and thumb.

He looked back up solemnly and sighed, "I don't remember why I do the things I do, why I painted this," He touched the wall and slid his hand across the space of the moon, "Or commit murder." He shook his head gritting his teeth against his train of thought.

He turned back to Madison and strode to her and untied the knots around her ankles and wrists. He stood back to let her stand. Roy felt a shiver of panic; he didn't really peg him for murder until the scene at Café le Prick.

She stood and rubbed her wrists. She understood how he felt, having no true motivation just being driven by instinct or some invisible force that pushes you back and forth. She wasn't going to tell him that, or let him confide in her.

"I'm sorry I don't have your answers but I seem to be as clueless as you are." Madison replied earnestly.

"Let's go speak with the doughboys, they'll probably have a better idea of what to do." Johnny walked past her and motioned her to follow.

Madison followed ten paces behind him, never taking her eyes off his back. She followed him through the labyrinth that was his basement and to any stranger its Guardian would surely eat their lost souls.

They walked on and on, through hallways and different rooms. They walked past dozens of people strung up ready to go. Madison couldn't help but take a look at some of the torture devices. Roy was quiet but he saw everything she did and his suspicions were growing stronger.

"Where did all this stuff come from?" Madison finally asked.

"They were here when I got here." Johnny replied. He didn't bother to elaborate.

They finally arrived at their destination and Johnny led Madison into a room with a broken vanity. There was dried blood littered among the broken glass from the mirror.

Roy saw through Madison's eyes two Styrofoam statues, painted in different patterns. One was mainly white while the other was mainly black. It was a ghastly sight.

Johnny made a sweeping hand over the statues and said, "These are the doughboys."

Roy muttered, "Well, he is the stupid insane for sure."

Johnny glared at Madison after the comment but didn't reply.

"Mr. Eff I'm sure I do not need to explain the situation, what is your advice?" Johnny got right to the point.

The doughboys began to talk, "My oh my." Mr. Eff purred.

Roy stifled a gasp and began to panic, "Madison we have to leave now. We are very close to the surface and now would be the best time to _run_."

Madison was staring at the statues, transfixed and completely confused. Fear and cowardice far from her mind, Roy had only wished that wasn't the case this one time.

Johnny hadn't noticed her reaction and waited for Eff to continue, "It seems you two have shown each other your chains. Madison doesn't seem to have as much awareness as you my dear boy."

Johnny began to tell Madison what Eff said, "So he says-"

"Don't bother, Johnny. I heard everything _he_ said." Madison said biting her lower lip, taking a few steps towards the vanity.

Roy if he had a body, his face would be pale as a white blanket. "You have to leave _now._" Roy's voice started to increase in pitch and volume.

"No! I'm getting answers!" Madison finally shouted back.

Roy growled and would have clenched his nonexistent fists, there was no way that these statues would ruin all his plans.

"_Don't defy me!"_ Roy shouted in frustration, pushing something he should have kept safe.

Johnny stared and Madison dropped to her knees. A pound rang through her head and the migraine that followed was unlike anything she had ever experienced. The singular light bulb in the tiny room surged brightly and so did the pitch in her scream of pain. It made Johnny's skin crawl as he watched her body wracked with light.

As abruptly as it came, it faded and she collapsed to the filthy ground. Johnny wrung his hands not really sure what to do. He looked to the doughboys and asked, "What just happened?"

"It looks like Roy-Boy finally cashed in his savings." Psycho-Doughboy replied quietly.

Madison remained unconscious and her breathing was ragged. Johnny saw a pair of legs materialize beside her body and he followed the legs up to a redheaded man's face. His eyes were bright blue and curious as a toddler. He flexed his hands and shook his head. He cleared his throat, taking a deep breath in. His body was shimmering and wasn't completely… there.

Johnny looked from Madison's body to the half-man and asked, "Who the hell are you?"

The man crouched down beside Madison and felt her pulse.

"Well, at least she's still alive." The man said quietly and turned to Johnny finally acknowledging him.

"My name is Roy."

"You're the one that's been making all that noise these past few hours. Laughing and talking when you don't have a real body." Johnny said he slowly reached into his back pocket, pulling out an X-acto knife.

"There's really no need for that." Roy said exasperated.

Johnny glared, "What the hell are you?"

"I won't spoil you. I believe those questions should be directed to your loud mouthed _friends_." Roy shot a thumb at the statues. "They ruined _everything_ and sped up my progress rather unexpectedly." He seethed. "Now I'm stuck in this dead-end body. Completely useless."

Johnny turned to the statues and then back to Roy, the Doughboys remained silent and refused to comment further.

"We'll be leaving and a word of caution," Roy stepped up to Johnny who immediately stuck his knife into Roy's corporeal belly, he continued smoothly, "Madison is just as untouchable as you are. If not more so, I've been working on her for years now and I will _not_ let you ruin all my hard work. Despite this _slight_ set back, there are ways around." He grasped Johnny's arm and pushed him away with a surprising amount of force.

Johnny fixed him with his dark eyes and said, "Fine by me, I have enough monsters to contend with as it is."

Roy smiled brightly but his eyes remained stone cold. He picked up Madison's body; he concentrated making his arms more real than ever. He tested her weight and his strength. She was dead-weight heavy but it wasn't such a big deal. Johnny didn't move or flinch he just stared daggers at Roy.

Roy gave him a snide look and turned his back and walked through the next series of rooms and found his way out. He took one look at the shack of a building and knew exactly where he was.

Madison's apartment building was of a modest size, four stories and it was right across the street.

"We're fucking neighbours?" If Roy's hands were free he would promptly face-palm.

It was the wee hours of the morning and dawn was on its way. It was safe to say that nobody was awake or out and about.

Regardless of this fact Roy still looked both ways before he crossed the street, old habits even after so many years.

He keyed Madison's password and let himself into the building and took the stairs up to her apartment. He felt he would use every opportunity to test and use his new body, even as incomplete as it is. He was enjoying himself.

Despite Madison's lean on paranoia she often left her front door unlocked for the sake of convenient plot flow. Roy walked into her apartment and placed her body on her bed.

She remained unconscious for several hours as Roy busied himself with eating and exploring Madison's closet.

Madison finally awoke through a haze of buzzing noise and memory fragments. Roy though felt the pang of memories in his own mind but what she saw and felt was much less clear now than it was before. He concentrated a bit but the opacity didn't change in the slightest.

If only those styrofoam pieces of shit kept their mouth's _shut._


End file.
